Patrick E. McKnight, Ph.D.
Contact Information
Associate Professor of Psychology | George Mason University
Email: pmcknigh@gmu.edu | Phone: (703) 993-8292 Office: MSN 3F5, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030
Google Scholar | ORCID | GMU Profile
Education
Ph.D. in Psychology (Clinical), University of Arizona, 1997 - Dissertation: Calibration of Psychological Measures: An illustration of three quantitative calibration procedures. Chair: Lee Sechrest, Ph.D.
M.S. in Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of Arizona, 1992 - Thesis: The effects of cohesion and identifiability on social loafing. Chair: Jean M. Williams, Ph.D.
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1988
Academic Positions
Associate Professor, George Mason University, Department of Psychology: Human Factors and Applied Cognition, 2011–Present
Advisory Board Member, Sense about Science USA, STATS.org, 2015–Present
Consultant, McKnight Consulting, LLC, Research and Technical Consulting, 2005–Present
Assistant Professor, George Mason University, Department of Psychology, 2005–2011
Research Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, Department of Psychology, EGAD, 2002–2005
Health Sciences Specialist, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, CESATE, 1999–2001
Psychology Resident, University of Washington, College of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1998–1999
Books
McKnight, P.E., McKnight, K.M., Sidani, S. & Figueredo, A.J. (2007). Missing Data: A Gentle Introduction. New York: Guilford Press. [3,200 citations]
Bootzin, R.R. & McKnight, P.E. (Eds) (2006). Strengthening Research Methodology: Psychological Measurement and Evaluation. Washington: American Psychological Association. [6 citations]
Selected Publications
2025
McKnight, P.E., Kashdan, T.B., MacKay, A., Kelso, K., & Gross, M. (2025). Purpose and happiness: A comparison. Journal of Positive Psychology.
Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K., Craig, L., Guenoun, B., & Naughton, C. (2025). Multiple dimensions of workplace curiosity: Evidence of generalizability in nine countries. Personality and Individual Differences.
Blanco-Donoso, Torio, L., Hurtado, M., Lecuona, O., Carmona-Cobo, I., Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., & Garrosa, E. (2025). Spanish adaptation of the Multidimensional Workplace Curiosity Scale. Acta Psychologica.
2024
Jackson, K.M., Thayer, S.C., Simpson, K.L., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2024). Swimming with a head-mounted display: dual-task costs. Ergonomics, 1-10.
Kashdan, T.B., Kaufman, J.C., & McKnight, P.E. (2024). The costs of curiosity and creativity: Minimizing the downsides while maximizing the upsides. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 47, e105.
2023
Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., McKnight, P.E., Brown, B., & Rum, R. (2023). Purpose in life: A resolution on the definition, conceptual model, and optimal measurement. American Psychologist. [50 citations]
Dang, J.A., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2023). A closer look at warning cues on the sustained attention to response task performance. Human Factors, 65, 1793-1803. [5 citations]
Harwood, A.E., Satterfield, K., Helton, W.S., McKnight, P.E., & Shaw, T.H. (2023). The Role of State and Trait Self-Control on the Sustained Attention to Response Task. Human Factors. [2 citations]
2022
Lockhart, P.B., Thornhill, M.H., Zhao, J., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2022). Factors that affect dentists’ use of antibiotic prophylaxis. Journal of the American Dental Association. [10 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., & Goodman, F.R. (2022). Evolving positive psychology: A blueprint for advancing the study of purpose in life, psychological strengths, and resilience. Journal of Positive Psychology, 17, 210-218. [45 citations]
Dang, J.A., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2022). A closer look at warning cues on the sustained attention to response task performance. Human Factors. [5 citations]
2021
- McKnight, P.E., Kidd, J.K., Gallington, D.A., Strauss, L.I., Lyu, H., Gadzichowski, K.M., & Pasnak, R. (2021). The Efficacy of Teaching Advanced Forms of Patterning to Kindergartners. Creative Education, 12, 557. [5 citations]
2020
Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., Goodman, F.R., & McKnight, P.E. (2020). The Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale Revised (5DCR): Briefer subscales while separating overt and covert social curiosity. Personality and Individual Differences, 157, 109836. [280 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., Disabato, D.J., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K., & Naughton, C. (2020). Curiosity has comprehensive benefits in the workplace. Personality and Individual Differences, 155, 109717. [195 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., Goodman, F.R., Doorley, J.D., & McKnight, P.E. (2020). Understanding psychological flexibility: A multimethod exploration of pursuing valued goals despite the presence of distress. Psychological Assessment, 32, 829. [120 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K.C., Lauber, M., & Goodman, F.R. (2020). Sexual assault: Exploring real-time consequences the next day and in subsequent days. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10. [15 citations]
Gonçalves, S.F., Chaplin, T.M., López Jr, R., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2020). High-Frequency Heart Rate Variability and Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties During Adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence. [25 citations]
Lockhart, P.B., Thornhill, M.H., Zhao, J., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2020). Prophylactic antibiotic prescribing in dental practice. Journal of the American Dental Association, 151, 770-781. [35 citations]
2019
Doorley, J.D., Kashdan, T.B., Alexander, L.A., Blalock, D.V., & McKnight, P.E. (2019). Distress tolerance in romantic relationships: A daily diary exploration with methodological considerations. Motivation and Emotion, 43, 505-516. [25 citations]
Fontana, M., Eckert, G.J., Keels, M.A., et al. & McKnight, P. (2019). Predicting Caries in Medical Settings: Risk Factors in Diverse Infant Groups. Journal of Dental Research, 98, 68-76. [45 citations]
Curby, T., McKnight, P., Alexander, L., & Erchov, S. (2019). Sources of variance in end-of-course student evaluations. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. [15 citations]
2018
Kashdan, T.B., Stiksma, M.C., Disabato, D.D., McKnight, P.E., Bekier, J., Kaji, J., & Lazarus, R. (2018). The five-dimensional curiosity scale: Capturing the bandwidth of curiosity and identifying four unique subgroups of curious people. Journal of Research in Personality, 73, 130-149. [520 citations]
Yarbro, J.L., & McKnight, P.E. (2018). An introduction to cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 6, 179. [8 citations]
Bock, A.M., Cartwright, K.B., McKnight, P.E., et al. & Pasnak, R. (2018). Patterning, reading, and executive functions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1802. [45 citations]
2017
Alexander, L.A., McKnight, P.E., Disabato, D.J., & Kashdan, T.B. (2017). When and How to use Multiple Informants to Improve Clinical Assessments. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. [35 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Blalock, D.V., Young, K.C., Machell, K.A., Monfort, S.S., McKnight, P.E., & Ferssizidis, P. (2017). Personality Strengths in Romantic relationships. Psychological Assessment. [65 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., Stiksma, M., Milius, C.R., & McKnight, P.E. (2017). Sexuality Leads to Boosts in Mood and Meaning in Life. Emotion. [45 citations]
Monfort, S.S., Graybeal, J.J., Harwood, A.E., McKnight, P.E., & Shaw, T.H. (2017). A single-item assessment for remaining mental resources: development and validation of the Gas Tank Questionnaire. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science. [25 citations]
Bono, G., Froh, J.J., Disabato, D., Blalock, D., McKnight, P., & Bausert, S. (2017). Gratitude’s role in adolescent antisocial and prosocial behavior: A 4-year longitudinal investigation. Journal of Positive Psychology. [55 citations]
2016
- de Visser, E.J., Monfort, S.S., McKendrick, R., Smith, M.A.B., McKnight, P.E., Krueger, F., & Parasuraman, R. (2016). Almost Human: Anthropomorphism Increases Trust Resilience in Cognitive Agents. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. [280 citations]
See Google Scholar for complete publication list (81 articles)
Research Funding
Total Funding: $6,890,206
Crowdsourcing forecast models in intelligence (PI: Georghe Tecuci)
IARPA | Co-Investigator | 2016–2021
Distinguishing extraordinarily happy from psychologically flexible people (PI: Todd Kashdan)
Koch Foundation | Co-Investigator — $248,000 | 2016–2021
Evaluation and Review of ONR Immersive Training Environments
Office of Naval Research (ONR) | Principal Investigator — $899,577 | 2014–2016
Diagnosis and prediction of mild traumatic brain injury (PI: Judith Babcock-Parziale)
VA Health Services Research and Development | Co-Investigator | 2009–2012
Advancing Outcomes Measurement and Micro-costing in Blind Rehabilitation
VA Health Services Research and Development | Co-Investigator — $550,080 | 2006–2010
Trait and State Frontal Brain Asymmetry in Depression
NIH-NIMH | Co-Investigator — $1,869,813 | 2004–2009
Multidimensional Intervention in Osteoarthritis
NIAMS | Co-Investigator — $2,630,000 | 2003–2007
Comprehensive Plan to Insure Capacity for Screening and Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer in Arizona
Arizona Department of Health Services | Co-Investigator — $275,000 | 2004–2006
Positive Mental Health and Outcomes in Osteoarthritis
Arthritis Foundation | Co-Investigator — $313,500 | 2002–2006
Tucson Energy Baseline Study
Department of Energy / TMEC | Principal Investigator — $19,000 | 2001–2002
Calibration of Measures for Assessing Low-Vision Rehabilitation Patients
VA Rehabilitation Research and Development | Co-Investigator — $85,236 | 2001–2003
Teaching
Graduate Courses
- PSYC 611: Introductory Statistics and Methods I
- PSYC 612: Introductory Statistics and Methods II
- PSYC 642: General Linear Modeling I
- PSYC 643: General Linear Modeling II
- PSYC 754: Multiple Regression
- PSYC 757: Bayesian Data Analysis
- PSYC 734: Measurement & Study of Peak Performance
Undergraduate Courses
- PSYC 301: Introductory Statistics
- PSYC 325: Psychopathology
- PSYC 405: Mystery, Madness, and Murder
Doctoral Students
Current Students
- Amrote Getu
- Kristin Carpenter
- Amie MacKay
- Dan Singer
Completed (18)
- Dean Cisler, George Mason University, 2024
- Kara Massick, George Mason University, 2024
- Amanda Harwood, George Mason University, 2020
- Michael Waltrip, George Mason University, 2020
- Lisa Alexander, George Mason University, 2019
- Max Shear, George Mason University, 2018
- Simone Erchov, George Mason University, 2017
- Jake Quartuccio, George Mason University, 2017
- Sam Monfort, George Mason University, 2017
- John Graybeal, George Mason University, 2016
- Dan Blalock, George Mason University, 2016
- Jessica Yarbro, George Mason University, 2016
- Julius Najab, George Mason University, 2013
- Mei Kuang Chen, University of Arizona, 2008
- Michael Menke, University of Arizona, 2005
- Kim Bissel, University of Arizona, 2001
- Richard Lane, University of Arizona, 2000
- Opher Caspi, University of Arizona, 2000
Professional Affiliations
- American Evaluation Association, 1991–Present — Chair, Quantitative Methods TIG (2001-present)
- American Statistical Association, 1997–Present
- Association for Psychological Science, 1992–Present
- Psychometric Society, 1997–Present
- Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology, 1992–Present
- American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2001–Present
- American Psychological Association - Division 5, 2009–Present
- Society for Judgment and Decision Making, 2010–Present
Technical Skills
Statistical Software: R, SAS, SPSS, Python, Stan, JAGS, Julia
SEM/IRT: lavaan, Mplus, EQS, LISREL, Onyx, Mx, mirt, ltm, Winsteps, Multilog, Bilog
Programming: R, Python, C/C++, Fortran, Julia, SQL, LaTeX, Quarto, Shiny
Scholarly Impact
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Citations | 17,454 |
| h-index | 62 |
| i10-index | 108 |
| Publications | 90+ |
Source: Google Scholar, 2026-01-29